Intel launches first-ever 16-core chipset for laptops
What's the story
Intel's 'Vision 2022' event saw the launch of the company's most powerful mobile CPUs yet. The new 12th-generation Alder Lake HX-series promises desktop-caliber performance. The chipsets are offered in Core i5, Core i7, and Core i9 versions and are both unlocked as well as overclockable. The CPUs have up to 16 cores and 24 threads running at a base power of 55W.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Intel's new Alder Lake HX-series chips are the epitome of raw power. The series includes the first 16-core laptop CPUs. However, the success of the chips against rivals like Apple and AMD will depend on how they perform on the battery life front. Intel's 12th-generation processors have been disappointing in that arena so far. Even then, the specs sheet of HX-series is still awe-inspiring.
Cores and threads
The chips have up to 16 cores and 24 threads
The 12th-generation Cre HX-series has a base power of 55W. They have up to 16 cores (eight performance cores and eight efficiency cores) and 24 threads. The performance and efficiency cores of the flagship Core i9 have a base frequency of 2.3GHz and 1.7GHz, respectively. They have maximum turbo frequencies of 5.0GHz and 3.6GHz, respectively. The CPUs have a maximum turbo power of 157W.
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Intel has given importance to I/O as well
The I/O in the HX-series chips includes up to eight SATA 3.0 connections, 14 USB 2.0 connections, two USB 3.0 connections, and two thunderbolt connections. This is made possible by the larger size of the HX-series chips. They support memory up to 128GB of DDR5/LPDDR5.
Performance
The chips supports memory and core overclocking
Intel claims a huge improvement in performance with the new chips. In internal testing, the Core i9-12900HX showed a 17% increase in single-thread and 64% in multi-thread performance over last year's Core i9-11980HK. The i5-12600HX, i7-12850HX, and i9-12950HX have support for Intel vPro. The chips allow memory and core overclocking. They have new features like EEC (Error Correcting Code) and support PCIe 5.0.
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Upcoming laptops with Alder Lake HX-series CPUs
Intel is yet to announce when the chips will be available. The company, however, hinted at the laptops these processors will power. The list includes MSI GT77 Titan, Gigabyte Aorus 17X, ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 SE, and Lenovo Legion 7i.